Olympics that never were

As more and more call for the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics because of the coronavirus outbreak, it's worth noting that this every-four-years spectacle has been rocked before by traumatic events, specifically war. The Games have been canceled three times, and twice it involved both the Winter and Summer Olympics.

1916: Berlin was set to host the 1916 Summer Olympics (the Winter Games weren't founded until 1924), and the German Empire constructed a dazzling new facility to serve as the centerpiece, Deutsches Stadion. After World War I erupted in July 1914, preparations carried on for a while because no one expected the hostilities to last another two years. But the war lasted until 1918, eventually forcing the Olympics to be canceled.

1940: In an era when the selected nation got the option of hosting the Summer and Winter Games in the same year, Japan was a surprising choice as the first non-Western country to be awarded the Olympics. Tokyo was to be the summer host, with Sapporo getting the winter version. Japan invaded China in 1937, and the next year Japan surrendered its hosting duties after military leaders demanded that venues be constructed from wood because metals were needed for the war effort. Sites for the Games were awarded twice more before World War II began in September 1939 and led to cancellation.

1944: London had the Summer Games assignment, and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, landed the Winter Games, but the 1944 Olympics never had a chance. World War II dragged on until the following year.

Associated Press